A "Computer Assembled in USA" sticker made its way onto an iMac purchased this weekend

Apple may be assembling certain hardware in the United States instead of China, according to a recent CNN Money report.

The report referred to a reader, Aaron Gong, that purchased a new 21-inch iMac at an Apple Store in San Jose, California last weekend. When he opened the box, the label said "Computer Assembled in USA" rather than China, which is normally the case.

This is a bit of an odd case, though, since the iMac was an in-stock, entry-level model that had no custom specifications at all. In the past, only "made-to-order" iMacs were assembled in the U.S.

This doesn't mean that Apple is moving all of its hardware -- or even just iMac -- manufacturing the U.S. Another 21-inch iMac buyer purchased his product at the Manhattan Apple Store last week and had an "Assembled in China" label on it.

It's not clear what's going on with Apple's assembly locations, but Gong's Saturday iMac purchase has certainly raised a few questions.

Apple's gadgets are mainly manufactured and assembled at its Foxconn plants in China, but these plants have had several issues this year ranging from poor working conditions to employee abuse in the way of excessive overtime, crowded dorms, and low pay.

The devices themselves are 100% designed in the USA. Foxconn has to throw some chips together, mill some cases and essentially follow the design provided by Apple. If Apple is providing final assembly in the USA, why bash them for creating jobs in the USA? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

I remember a story about Toyota shipping over Camry's that were missing only a couple pieces(like wipers or trim) and calling them "automotive parts" then sending them to a plant in the US where the missing part was installed and then the car was labeled as "Assembled in USA".

Just one of the ways large companies avoid paying taxes and tariffs, and if fixed could probably bring in more revenue to the government than we could ever raise by making the rich "pay their fair share."

It is my hope that all Rich people would simply disappear. Just before they do, they need to close down their business(s), provide a closing check for each employee, and destroy everything that someone who never ran a business could use. Then watch how things turn out.

No, it wouldn't bring in any where near as much as making the rich pay at even the same percentage as everyone else. Tarifs are just a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the huge cash cow that income taxes are.

You are right about the Toyota scam though, they did do that. Although they have changed and a lot of their cars are actually assembled in the USA and quite a few parts are made there too. That's why I drive a Mazda.

The hell are you talking about? Personal income taxes for those legally living in the US is much higher as you go up the income bracket. top 10% pay 70% of all taxes, and the top 50% pay nearly all taxes according to the IRS at 97.75%.

quote: I remember a story about Toyota shipping over Camry's that were missing only a couple pieces(like wipers or trim) and calling them "automotive parts" then sending them to a plant in the US where the missing part was installed and then the car was labeled as "Assembled in USA".

Except that would be illegal. The law is pretty clear, from the BCP "A product that includes foreign components may be called "Assembled in USA" without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. For the "assembly" claim to be valid, the product’s last "substantial transformation" also should have occurred in the U.S. That’s why a "screwdriver" assembly in the U.S. of foreign components into a final product at the end of the manufacturing process doesn’t usually qualify for the "Assembled in USA" claim."

A car coming over from Japan with just its wipers or trim missing is still a car. Labelling it "Assembled in USA" would violate the law.

Or maybe, just maybe one should entertain the possibility that they are being voted down for the obvious bias and/or ridiculous comments made.

Note, the original comment by Nortel (below) wasnt voted down, as it didn't contain any idiocy or falsities. In fact it was voted up to 3 as of the time I post this. Maybe it isnt an anti-apple thing, its just an Anti-ridiculous thing. See how Nortel was voted up and Argon and you were both voted down? Now re-read all 3 and see of you can figure it out. =)

"The devices themselves are 100% designed in the USA. Foxconn has to throw some chips together, mill some cases and essentially follow the design provided by Apple. If Apple is providing final assembly in the USA, why bash them for creating jobs in the USA? Damned if you do, damned if you don't."

quote: .... or get voted down for observing that you get voted down for mentioning voting down :o

I think you must have missed the memo T.S., the system automatically gives you a -1 rating for inappropriate or meaningless posts like swearing in your post or posting as Tony Swash. You aren't getting voted down, technology is just catching up.

Tony, realistically... You come to a website that brings news and developments to a tech oriented crowd, that is yearning for cutting edge technology, and somehow you find it surprising that Apple gets voted down? This is not a fanboy statement, its just realistic. Apple is great at marketing and business, but as far as the tech world goes, theres really nothing to see. Had we wanted to learn about running a successful business and the tricks and dirt involved, we would not be visiting dailytech. I am actually surprised that you do, this sight is for new technologies foremost.

Right... just because I actually find it worth my time to actually reply when I am drunk...

So, back to the point, you understood what I was getting at, but came back with insults rather than arguments. What I originally said was not answered, but sidestepped in effort to ignore the original post. GD, are you not only an Apple fanboy but also a politician?

For arguments sake, Steve Job was a scary dirty hippie, that almost had the cops called on him when he applied at Atari. So why would a few grammar mistakes even be of any relevance to what I stated?

The parts are designed in America, and that's it. They are made elsewhere. I wonder who makes the chips... or the lcd panel. Hrmm.. would you rather have an item assembled overseas for 1.50 an hour? Or have it assembled in the U.S. for whatever the minimum wage is?

I love Apple's marketing and advertising team. You have to admit they do a damn good job.

There is pretty much only one component in a computer that's made in the USA and that's your intel cpu. Everything else comes from Japan, China, and S Korea. Interesting I was listening to an expert on China on NPR. He was saying that if a computer costs $1000 probably only $100 goes to china, the rest goes to the more expensive parts from Japan, Korea, Intel, and of course profit for the likes of Apple.

Japan, Korea, USA all make quality components. What does China make exactly? All of the assembly machines in china to mill aluminum, robotic arms, glass polishing, automated QA are all made in countries like Germany (Herzog) or the US (Denso). Apple does all the grunt work by importing all these machines, setting up the assembly lines and training Foxconn on how to train their workers. China supplies the grunt labor to follow the carefully laid plans, that's all they are good for.

I am not slamming Apple for this, but that by definitions is "made in China". Agreed Apple designs it here, but the sticker says "Made in USA" therefore its a lie because it was Made in China. If they want to put a "Designed in USA" sticker, no-one would have an issue.

That's cool, I did not know that. From the Intel PDF linked at that site:

quote: Wafer fabrication or manufacturing of Intel’s microprocessors and chip sets is conducted in the U.S. (Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Massachusetts). China, Ireland and Israel. Following manufacturing the majority of our components are then assembled and tested at facilities in Malaysia, China, Costa Rica and Vietnam.

I thought they were completely made in like Malaysia. Apparently they are like the newest Samsung chips for Apple: made in the USA and shipped to an overseas factory for the final assembly into the chip package.

I was already well aware that the AMD chips are made in Dresden, Germany and sent to Asia (forget where Malaysia?) for assembly. AMD has that fab going on in New York state, I guess that will supplement Germany.

The actual fabrication process cannot be done in a country that does not have the correct export controls in place. Hence most of the current generation and n-1 generation stuff cannot run in China as the US Customs export regulations forbid it, and F68 in Dalian manufactures 65nm (non High-K flow). Israel and Ireland however have a different relationship with the US compared to China and are permitted to manufacture 45nm, 32nm and 22nm technologies.

Do you demand that the aluminum for the cases come from the US? That the oil used to transport them come from the US? That the machine tools used to assemble them come from the US? etc etc etc

What these many terms show is that "made in" is a concept that can be de-aggregated in a hundred different ways. Don't use a term that is meaningless. Figure out what it is you are trying to achieve with the term and then use an appropriate term.Are you trying to highlight where MACs are DESIGNED?Are you trying to highlight where the CHIPs that Macs use are DESIGNED?Are you trying to highlight where the RAW MATERIALs that Macs use are mined?Are you trying to highlight where the various pieces are PUT TOGETHER? (but why assume that this assembly only occurs once, in one location?)etc etc etc

I believe people are trying to "highlight" the fact that Apple is being deceptive. The label says made the the USA and that is false. Not like it matters, what computers are? None that I am aware of, but the fact that Apple feels the need to lie raises eyebrows on the company that is well known for it's lying, cheating and stealing.

The label says "Assembled in USA". Under FTC rules it does not matter where the parts are manufactured as long as the final "substantial transformation" occurs in USA. Assembly of a product from a parts inventory qualifies as "Assembled in USA". It is not deceptive, but the buyer may not be aware of the FTC rules on labeling.http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus03-complying-...

Not just us. China named a town "Usa" so companies could put "Made in Usa" on labels.

When I worked for a freight brokerage I learned that Wal-mart was buying its bleach from a company called KIK in Canada. Canadian truckers would drive it across the border into a warehouse owned by a dummy corporation. The Canadian trucks would be unloaded, the pallets would be reloaded onto American trucks, paperwork would be signed and - voila!- it was now American bleach as it left and rolled towards Wal-Mart's warehouses, and it was marketed as American bleach in their stores.